CONGRESS MIDWIVES DECLARED TWIN CHILD AFTER ROBOTIC LABOR PAINS

The motherland has finally given birth of the twin child when the two midwives of congress finally declared the elected president and vice president of the first-ever automated election of the Philippines. The two congress midwives (the upper and lower houses) have exhaustedly nailed every dint of legal questions and impediments that were thrown on the bloody floor of the operating table of congress to discredit the election results that could have caused political chaos, national disintegration, internal instability, or even a national disaster to the chagrin of the whole nation.

As I witnessed the last chapter of the series of the historic national canvass of votes for the president and vice president on a TV channel, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles stood willfully within the bounds of their mandated duty and authority, while hearing the painful moans of questions by cynics and skeptics that arose in the labor process, with the full support and clinical attendance of their colleagues in both houses of congress.

The labor pain of the motherland took about two weeks to finally give birth of a twin child in the new dawn of democracy. The COMELEC under Commissioner Jose Melo, as the attending doctor of the twin child, has exhaustively shared the same birth pains while answering more determinedly their tormentors in its boldest fashion why they cause the shifting of methods from its age-old manual method to birth automation to the plain satisfaction and relief of the fathers---the voters.

In my whole life I would never forget this experience of befriending the PCOS machine in my precinct. At first, the PCOS machine rejected my ballot. I thought there was something wrong with the machine but later realized that part of my ballot was a little bit crumpled at the rightmost edge so I made it plain. Then I fed it back to the machine while whispering “Come on, come on… please accept… please count my vote.” In a few seconds, the machine indicated in its miniscule screen, “Congratulations! Your vote was registered.” I felt that happy moment, I just said, “Yes!”

In the many manual elections that I have participated in many years ago, both local and national elections, I am a witness of the many incidents of threats and political intimidations; read in the newspapers about political killings, and massive vote-buying.

I should like to share this secret combination I’ve known in the local scene about vote buying to give familiarity of the usual scenes in the precinct level.

The vote buyers usually gave to the potential vote seller the name code. Say, the seller will cast his vote for mayor and vice mayor, and 8 councilors; if both agreed that the seller will only cast his vote to the buyer’s favored candidate for mayor, and don’t care about the vice mayor and councilors, the name code is usually written as the vice mayor of his ballot which must be a different name other than those listed; or the name of one of the candidates for councilors in the numbered series will be changed to the name code given by the vote buyer. If the vote seller has other members of the family who are eligible to vote, the same code will be written on their respective ballots.

During the canvassing, the votes will be read by the Chairman of the BEIs, and the other members of the BEIs will tally the same on the authorized tally sheets while some volunteers are also tasked to tally separately the votes on a tally sheet taped on the blackboard or any available space where it should fit. As the canvassing continue, the authorized person usually the party watcher specifically assigned to monitor at least five or ten voters by just intently listening to the utterances of the vote reader while taking notes of the code names being mentioned in the process, of course, to the unwitting amazement of the crowd.

At the end of the canvassing, the person assigned to monitor the code names will finally review his own tally on the code names and refer these code names to the master list of people assigned with it. And there goes the confirmation that the voter who was bought actually cast the expected vote. By the next election year, these master lists will be reviewed again for money budgeting purposes.

This is only one of those usual vote-buying techniques in the manual election employed by some moneyed or unscrupulous politicians. By simply reading the votes by viva voce gives greater opportunities for the vote buyers to exploit their poor brethren to be left with no alternatives but to submit to their adumbrated choice. When this is so as it may, automation then is one of the best methodologies to minimize or totally eradicate vote manipulation during election. Surely, this would elevate our election process which we rhetorically advocate to be clean, honest, and orderly.

Manual election, I should frankly say, was the bitterest experience for all of us who suffered long enough of the political injustices that the ruling few have done.

I believe that this is what some traditional politicians would want to relive as they tried to impute the PCOS machines’ alleged inefficiency to provide accurate results while glorifying the age-old manual method. They condemned automation because they argue that the Filipinos are not the ones who really voted but the machines. What I do know is that this would be the last shameful stance of these traditional politicians against technology, and will be the last ferocious attack by the skeptics and cynics, because I trust that the one who spawns this argument has in his possession a cell phone.

Moreover, I should like to congratulate the senate and the house for a very splendid and exhaustive shepherding of the national canvassing of votes that brought satisfaction even to the least of our brethren who dreamed to be free from the claws of political vultures and gangs of streetworms who frequently vie the highest bid to either buy or sway off the votes of the people in favor of their candidates. I do believe that this trade will soon be out of our political exercises with high expectations that the 15th Congress will introduce changes or amendments in our election code.

I do hope that the COMELEC can strengthen further, if not, reinvigorate the successful momentum that this automated election has brought to the whole nation. By this, I can now recognize that the real bastion of power lies in the collective votes of the majority of our people. It is expected that the promises as declared during the election campaign will be the living guideposts for all the winning candidates; and the barb of grudges and discomfitures will soon expire as we now journey to the new dawn of national leadership.

PEOPLE’S VOICE, A PARADOX OR NEXUS TO POLITICAL TRUTH OR FALSITY?

One of the most peculiar events that occurred in our political system just recently is the first ever automated election on May 10, 2010. It was acceptably successful! However, the worst of it was that the poor masses were profoundly attracted into it. They were like lambs sent to a slaughterhouse while their fickle voices remained being drooped limply because the vote-buyers are trumpeting the money sound in high roving pitch, and many were dipped into it with a few who tried to refuse but were forced to yield because of some threats, and poverty!

The election of officers to hold public office is the normal course in a political exercise in every three or six years cycle in our country. Hopefully by October this year, the barangay elections will be held and most of the people are now preparing to field their own officials. The conduct of election simply exemplifies the urgent need of finding a leader whom people can trust for their welfare. They need a leader who can inspire all and work to achieve the endless search for political stability, progress and development. But when the votes are rigged and a number of people manipulated the results to whoever is the benefactor, then, the result does not reflect the true sentiment of choice by which the voter have exercised in electing. Thus, we can view the results as indignantly false, or blatantly, a hoax. And I believe that in whatever situation it may come, a hoax government cannot surely sustain the welfare of the people or even turn around against evil deeds that circumstances offer.

I consider my only vote as pure as my beliefs, and the principles by which I applied and was given the privilege to exercise it is far more important than my mortal obvious discernment. My exercise of vote is sacred and it’s my accountability to my grandchildren’s children. And whoever manipulated it or allegedly rigged it, finds that no matter what value of money spent to either earn it or nullify it, only reflect the corrupted view that dilutes both the mind and spirit of the people which becomes an indelible curse to them.

These things happened because people allowed it, and of course, when good men refuse to act to stand fit in protecting their votes, and instead neglect or allow evil men to manipulate it, it is possible that their action is a sheer aberration; and we can blame the system of education and many others of such irresponsibility. However, in spite of it all, it’s still the people who choose and not those who tempted to buy them.

I would inquire: Why would anyone sell out their only vote?

This is a query that lots of the people can simply answer with one accord: “I’m poor. I need the money. By this amount, I could buy good food for my family. Who else can help?” Others may say also: ”It’s people’s season and the only time when people are emerging as powerful than the candidates themselves. So, seize the opportunity while it lasts.” And these people added: “ it’s people’s money after all and we are entitled to receive what is due to us.”

If these mindset and false notion have already been an embed into the minds of the electorates, what more can a government do when it would exist as a hoax?

I hope this would not be so. But, it seems that the people are counting the years when elected officials are performing or not performing well, and when elections come, they suppose that they should try to earn out of such exercise of right and privilege. And I believe that the aftermath effect of this is far more tedious than the whole process of election. We should not be surprised when there will be rumors of impeachment or coup d’etat in the highest echelon of governance that will plot the behavioral road map for a bigger change in government as is usually instigated by some irresponsible soothsayers and doomsayers in the bureaucracy who are seemingly enjoying the cause of their convoluted predictions.

The recent development of election protests swarming the COMELEC is an indicator of instability on the part of the candidates as well as their supporters. They won’t accept defeat when there are rooms for protests; and this was spearheaded by a masked man who claims to be working in the COMELEC and have personal knowledge about the alleged cheating being drawn out of PCOS machines. This whistleblower timed his straw of cheat allegations when all around the archipelago are celebrating the success of the automated elections. The over excitement is now dumped with anger among defeated candidates. They would like to discredit the claims of the COMELEC and SMARTMATIC that it was a success.

One wonders how some of these congressmen were able to obtain memory cards which should have been retained inside the PCOS machines. And I laughed when the congresswoman answered, “it’s my problem and it’s your problem…” Even then, the Chairman of the inquiry body blown out his temper while the SMARTMATIC President was still answering his questions. Such behavioral public outburst only indicate how congress has become an arena of hatred and mistrust. The principle of innocence unless proven guilty has become a voice of vindictiveness, and many people are drawn to believe which can trigger political instability and waste of money!

By this event, it reminds me of the words of renown Gordon B. Hinckley: “By its very nature, true leadership carries with it the burden of being an example…If values aren’t established and adhered to at the top, behavior down the ranks is seriously jeopardized and undermined. Indeed, in any organization where such is the case---be it a family, a corporation, a society, or a nation--- the values being neglected will in time disappear.”

Although such public outburst has become an apparent show of madness because of the feeling of being cheated, I still believe people in congress to be honorable men of high standards. The only thing that they forget is the prudent exercise of authority being a mandate of the people, thus, requires wise and even decorum as they manifest doing their duties and responsibilities. We cannot blame the congressman who did an outburst because it only exemplify the very nature that we all have.

But even then, I should like to express that this event on the first automated elections is a new beginning to examine the law that covers our election. These swarming protests only indicate a living democracy, and this process is only a part of the whole innovative efforts to make the next elections the better exercise of the rights of suffrage, and we expect that these challenges will be a new mount for COMELEC to overcome and succeed.

I believe COMELEC has done its very best to show to the world that Democracy is alive in the Philippines!

CROOKED SURVEY CRACKS SPONTANEITY TO DESERT FROM ACTUAL REALITY

The recent clime in political history is that of a likely presidentiable filing suit against influential survey companies because they have deeply influenced people’s mind to believing his political opponents rather than to believe in his favor.

I do believe that surveys when misunderstood likely turn the crest of the political wave into a threshold of disdainful course. It may or may not draw a concretized image from an impervious flow of opinions, but it slowly builds up an archstone in behavioral politics that may usually confound a limited sphere beyond the academics. At the very least, the baseline of recent events or an unlikely scene can crack spontaneity to uphold a desertion from actual reality.

In other words, a survey can procreate a variety of make-believe scenarios, to draw something that is not yet or has been empirically realized as a mindset or somewhat a deliberate concoction of idea based on previous experiences, hence, using certain scientific tools to support its findings can possibly derail a destined fact of events. Of course, it all depends upon the manipulators of the data gathered to bring out what perspective of mind they should like to show as the purview of the survey results that can intently spark a motion of continuity, just like a pendulum, purposely to hynotize, or rather epitomize an idol.

I do believe in survey that levels the rough playing field in order to draw from it a clearer view of events or amplify certain degree of opinion. But I think this is only good to intelligent and mature audiences who are engaged in the same manner of generating opinions or conclusive decisions. It surely is part of the academic perspective and is a conventional outflow of applications in theory and principles which practical knowledge usually disagree. However, when less educated individual who relies much of the opinions from those that come around his environment, truly the influence of a favorable survey will certainly affect his decisions.

Frankly, I would admit, I am one of those induced to believe and is convinced to believe.

The trend that has been drawn out of the serialized survey and are generally published in national papers, or even talked about by broadcast, clearly influenced my progressive attendance to the events being unraveled in our everyday political activities. I did like to trash it out once in a while believing that who I believe is right to the position will surely win with the grace of a mighty Heavenly Being. However, the hypothetical power of these surveys is a disturbing fact that greatly affected my mindset. It drove me to fear that to a certain extent people who’s been drawn to believe in the result of the survey would likely contend against the actual result of elections, thus, it would lead them to misjudge a concocted idea or else a make-believe scenario of events. And the what-if or the what-if-not faucets of creative imagination as drawn in the survey will surely turn the good political weather into a hurricane of civil chaos and disorder.

People are not generally aware of the scientific tools by which these survey companies are using in drawing up their hypotheses and the methodology of gathering the raw data they need along the way. Of course, we cannot discount certain possibilities that these survey companies can become the master drawer of events or it can also become victims of their own scientific lapses. Either ways can result to chaos or disorder eventually.

I have been observing the trend process of the survey that unravels the tendency of people to believe or not to believe in certain candidates. I think that the mechanics and methodologies are quite shrewd in formulation, but it seems that the conclusive result lead to a certain degree of favor to one or a few that are impliedly indicated as they revealed the results. Each survey companies are competing to amplify the veracity of their own survey results. And I do believe this is ultimately more than business!

As the campaign period is nearing to end, the mudslings are coated with choice words coupled with screwed dilapidation as it festered the political colors with shambles of intoxicated differences of opinion while swallowed in some degree by media hype and scoop-building drones. It is very intriguing to note further the ingenuity of those people involve in this type of campaign harassment as a tactical offensive to discredit the personality of certain candidate(s). Although the probability of truth in certain issues is believably mediocre, we can possibly imagine that we can draw a crooked line on their aging forehead while trying to cut the edge of their malevolent objective. This is a very dangerous course of history. Thus, it goes beyond the parameter of ordinary thinking by people whose knowledge of events are only limited to what is published and talked about rather than the truth which I believe are meddled with creative facts.

In the meantime, the candidates who are drawn to believe winning the contest are now on high gear to sustain what they thought is right or wrong in the survey. Of course, we could not discount the possibility that the primary aim of the candidates is winning the hearts and minds of the voting public and at the same time earn certain degree of adulation to inspire them to do best. But the worst case that we can think about is what money can do to realize this aim. Hence, we can note that large amount of money are flowing into the coffers of big media outfits earning millions of pesos while the only benefit earned by the voting public is the hypothetical belief of who is the right candidate.

Ultimately, until this hypothetical belief will be converted into an exercise of promised action, more particularly of benefits that can uplift the well-being of the whole country, I believe that any political exercises will always be marred by the same scenario of mistrust and ill-feeling. If it be so, there will be no seed of great statesmen who can grow from a political mosaic that crooked survey may usually draw.